Sheffield Bottom Lock

The lock sits right on the Kennet and Avon Canal just outside Reading, and it's the sort of place where you genuinely forget you're near a town. There's a proper towpath walk along here - flat, easy going, and lined with willows that lean over the water. The lock itself is functional rather than dramatic, but that's rather the point. You can watch narrowboats coming through, which kids find oddly mesmerising, or just spread a blanket and eat sandwiches while the water laps quietly against the banks.

It works brilliantly for a couple of hours between longer activities. Families with young children will manage fine - there's space to run about, no steep bits, and the water's safely contained. Walkers doing the canal towpath will naturally pass through and might pick it as a stopping point. If you're after dramatic scenery or major heritage attractions, look elsewhere. This is about stillness and ducks and the sound of lock gates opening.

No facilities to speak of, so bring what you need. Spring and early summer are best - waterside trees in leaf, fewer midges than July. If you're based at Ravenswing Park nearby, this makes a cracking half-day leg-stretcher. The canal walk extends in both directions too, so you can make an afternoon of it without feeling like you're stuck in one spot.